Telautographic report-recording and timing apparatus



June 26, 1934- A. N. VAN NOSTRAND TELAUTOGRAPHIC REPORT RECORDING AND TIMING APPARATUS Filed April 18, 1933 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN V EN TOR.

h 74' a-w BY 1 ATTORNEYS.

June 26, 1934.

A. N. VAN NOSTRAND TELAUTOGRAPHIC REPORT RECORDING AliD TIMING APPARATUS Filed April 18, 1933 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

Mam. mm

' A TTORNEYS.

June 26, 193 v A. N. VAN NOSTRAND 1,964,393

TELAUTOGRAPHIG REPORT RECORDING AND TIMING APPARATUS Mi: IIIIIMIM N VEN TOR. Ma w. @W

ATTORNEYS.

Patented June 26, 1934 UNETED STATE-S PATENT OFFICE TELAUTOGRAPHIC REPORT-RECORDING AND TIMING APPARATUS Application April 18, 1933, Serial No. 666,658

4 Claims.

This invention relates to a new telautographic report-recording and timing apparatus, particularly suitable as a watchmans time controller.

One essential object of the invention is to provide an apparatus which makes it difficult, if not impossible, for a watchman or other employee, whose duty it is to operate the apparatus at regular intervals, to have some unauthorized person actuate the apparatus at the designated times while the watchman sleeps or absents himself during his hours of duty, and, furthermore, to allow a central office to have knowledge at once in case any such substitution of another for the watchman is attempted, or in case anything happens to the watchman which makes it impossible for him to report personally at any time he should. A further object is to provide an apparatus by which a watchman may send a call for help silently and quickly in case of need, as more fully explained hereinafter.

The apparatus embodying the invention has the further advantage that it may be used for'transmitting written messages from the employee to 'the central office, so that it may be used in industrial plants for enforcing regular reports such as those of analyses, temperatures, inspections and the like by the authorized employee, which it is desired to have at regular intervals and exact times.

With these general objects in view and others that will be obvious to those skilled in the art from the description hereinafter, an apparatus embodying the invention, broadly considered, comprises a special type of telautographic transmitter located at the desired station from which the watchman, or other employee, is to makehis report, and a special type of telautographic receiver located at a distant point such as a control station or central oflice, the new system differing from prior telautographic systems in that the paper feeding mechanism at the receiver cannot be operated from the transmitter, but is automatically operated to advance the paper at some predetermined rate whereby the position of a signature or message written on the paper at'th'e receiver will determine the time at which it was written.

The invention will be more specifically described hereinafter in connection with the accompanying drawings, and then particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a telauto'graphic receiving mechanism embodying-the invention'in its preferred form.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line A'A of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 3 a top plan view of a telautographic transmitter to be connected by electric circuits to the receiver shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Fig. 41s a detail viewof part of a record strip showing two reports assumed to be made by an employee.

Fig. 5 is a detail view of a modification of the 5 receiver apparatus.

Fig. 6 is diagram illustrating the circuit connections from the transmitter tothe receiver.

While various forms of telautographic receiver apparatusm'ay be employed for moving the pen 7 to write the message and for lifting and lowering the pen, the type of receiver apparatus illustrated in the drawings, resembles that disclosed in the patent'to Tiffany, 1,272,874, granted July 16, 1918, disregarding, of course, all the mechanism for 7 shifting the paper. The receiver apparatus briefly described is as follows:

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings the base of the receiving instrument is shown at 1, supported at the four corners by legs 2. Brackets 3, mounted from the base, support the usual field magnet assembly 4, of which 4n: and 4120 are the upper and lower field magnet cores respectively, and 4Rp and 41m are the right and left pole pieces. Two brackets, one of which is shown at 41), Fig. 2, hold the cores in accurate relation one with the other, and have lugs, one of which is shown at 4L1, Fig. 2, to which the platen portion of the receiver attaches. The annular opening in which the left bucket coil travels is shown at 4a, while a similar opening (not shown) exists at the opposite end of the field magnet assembly wherein the right bucket coil travels. When the instrument is in operation, these bucket coils, reacting against spiral springs 5R, 5L, control the writing motions ofthe pen 5 through pen-arm levers 6, and penarms 7R, 7L, in the manner well known to those skilled in the art. The pen takes its supply of ink'from the open end of a capillary tube'8, feeding ink from a small tank 9 located at the left 10 side of the instrument.

Panels 10 and 11 of dielectric material, such as bake'lite, serve to support the various electrical parts of the instrument. The line relay '12 and-field control relay 15 maybe, advantageously, of the type described in my Patent 1,728,023. Suitable line resistance units may be employed, as indicated at 1'3, 14.

A shaker buzzer of the type shown and described m my Patent1,640,384-may be'use'd, as

ends.

indicated at 16. A condenser 17 serves to absorb the sparking at the forward contacts of relay 15.

The pen-1ifting mechanism, mounted from the rear of a special receiver platen (which will presently be fully described), is of the usual type, the electromagnets 21 operating a pivoted armature 22 which, when so operated, lifts the receiving pen from the writing surface by means of its attached penlifter rod 23 and penlifter bar 24. A suitable reel for the supply roll of message strip is shown below the base of the instrument, having a cylindrical body 55 of wood and metal flanges 56 which are removable in the manner disclosed in my Patent #1,625,343, relating to a paper winding mechanism. The reel has a centrally located steel spindle 57 with conical ends and is supported in trunnion bearings 58R and 58L in brackets 59Rand 59L mounted to the under side 3a of brackets 3. Bearing 58B is formed in a knurled headed screw so as to" be easily removable to release the reel from the instrument and supply a fresh roll of message strip.

It will be noted that the receiving apparatus as thus far described consists of those elements and parts which have been in common use in connection with telautograph receiving instruments for a considerable time, the function of each part in the present instance being identical with the function of the similar parts in commercial instruments heretofore. But, instead of the usual means for advancing the paper, as heretofore employed, the present invention combines, with the elements of receiving apparatus hereinbefore described, a unique paper feeding and guiding mechanism, a specialized form of receiver platen, a reel of improved form to hold the feeding paper or message strip, and, in the complete embodiment of the invention, a group of electrically operated message strip embossers.

This new mechanism will now be described. As shown in Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings, brackets 31R and 31L are secured to the rear of the field magnet brackets 4b by screws 32 and intermediate bars 33. Bracket 31R consists of an upright portion 311%. and, at its upper end, an expanded plate portion 31Rp which overhangs the eld magnet portion of the apparatus. Bracket 31L likewise has an upright portion 31Lu and an overhanging plate portion 31Lp. Between the upper ends of these brackets and between their-plate portions are bracing rods 34 and 35. Suitably journalled in a boss in plate 31Lp and fitted with an adjustable pin bearing in plate 3113p, is a shaft 36 carrying an integral roller 37 which has two rows of round pins 38 around its periphery, one row near each of its The shape of these'pins, above the surf cc of the roller, is substantially conical for the purpose of easily engaging holes 39 punched in the edges of the paper message strip 40 which passes over the roller.

Shaft 36 extends a short distance through plate 3111p and has keyed to its end a gear wheel 41 which forms a part of a gear train 42, the primary wheel of this gear train being connected to and driven from the extending shaft 43 by any suitable mechanism which will insure a uniform average rate of advance of the paper. In the example illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 the shaft is part of a spring driven chronometer movement 44 mounted rigidly to the outer face of plate 31Lp by bushings 45, through which pass suitable screws, not shown.

The rate of advance of the paperisdetermined, of course, by the sizes of the gear wheels and may be such as to give any suitable rate.

In the present embodiment of the invention the chronomcter is so constructed that shaft 43 rotates once every hour and the gear train 42 is so proportioned that the roller 37, driven by the power of the mainspring 45 of the chronometer th ough the reduction of the chronometer gear train and the auxiliary gear train 42, moves the angular distance represented by the space between two of its adjacent pins 38 every quarter hour.

Instead of spring driving mechanism similar to clockwork for rotating the shaft 43, as above set forth, other suitable driving mechanism may be employed, such, for example, as an electric motor mechanism. One form of such an electric drive is illustrated in Fig. 5, the motor advantageously being a synchronous alternating current motor, 102, taking current from the usual power line 103, its motor shaft 143 performing the function of the shaft 43, Fig. 1.

In Fig. 5 the gearing is covered by a casing 105, this casing and the motor 102, being supported by a bracket 100, secured by screws 101 to the side plate 131Lp which corresponds to side plate 31Lp of Fig. 1. The other parts shown correspond to those illustrated in Fig. 1, 100 being added to the reference numbers.

While the positive drive of the paper, by means of pins 38 on the roller 37, engaging holes in the margins of the paper, is advantageous, other .ieans may be employed when it is desired to use unperforated paper. For example, a frictional drive of the paper may be used, the roller 37 having its surface formed to increase the friction, as, for example, by covering it with rubber. A roller of this kind is illustrated at 137, Fig. 5.

Suitable idler rollers 46 are provided to press the paper against the roller 37 (or 137). These normally rest in the positions shown in broken lines, Fig. 2. When pins 38 are provided, as shown in Fig. l, to engage perforations in the paper strip, the idler rollers 46 are each provided with a groove into which the corresponding pins 38 may enter. These rollers are arranged in pairs,

one roller of each pair tracking at the point where the message strip first contacts with the roller 37, the other roller of the same pair tracking. at the point where the message strip leaves the roller 37 toward the rear of the instrument. The idler rollers turn freely on pin bearings 47 secured at the outer ends of radius bars 48 and 48b which are pivotally mounted in pairs by means of bearing screws 49 passing through their inner ends and into plates 31121) and 31Lp at points substantially higher than the upper surface of roller 37 and on a vertical plane approximately coinciding with the center of shaft 36. The idler rollers with their radius bars are relatively heavy to function to advantage when resting against the message strip under the influence of gravity. The shorter radius bars 48b which fall rearwardly are given a slight bend toward bars 48 so that, when the pair of bars is raised to the position shown in Figure 1 and by the solid lines in Figure 2, the two bars of a pair tend to jam one against the other and against the under surface of the head of screw 49 and plate 31Rp (or 31Lp as the case may be). This facilitates the insertion of the message strip in the instrument, as the idle rollers remain in an out-of-the-way position until manually replaced in their Working position.

The platen portion of the receiving instrugal 'me'nt consists of a plate 50 secured to'lugs 4L1 by screws as at 51, and extending vertically from the vicinity of the base of the instrument to a position somewhat below the point where the message strip first contacts with the roller 37. This plate is materially wider than the message strip and has attached as by soldering to its front surface, along its vertical edges, guide strips 51R and 51L. These guide strips are comparatively thin, being only a few times the thickness of the message strip, and are of such width that when mounted the space between their inner edges is but slightly greater than the width of the message strip. Each guide strip has, pinned to its front surface, a cover plate which extends from the upper margin of plate 50 to a point just below the penlifter bar 24. These cover plates, shown at 52R and 52L, are somewhat wider than the guide strips 51R and 51L and so overhang the paper message strip and protect and guide its edges while not obscuring any written message which may appear on the message strip above the penlifter bar. That portion of the paper message strip which is normally within the writing field of the pen is covered with a masking plate 53 of thin brass secured by screws 54 through strips 51R and 51L to plate 50, and having an opening 53a for the purpose of disclosing only a limited portion of the message strip. The opening is, in width, substantially equivalent to the distance between the inner edges of the perforations in the message strip and in height equivalent to the distance between two adjacent driving pins on the surface of roller 37. It will thus appear that in the present embodiment a fresh writing surface is presented for action upon by the pen every fifteen minutes, the extent of this fresh surface being equivalent to the extent of the opening 53a. While the message strip is in continuous motion, the rate of movement is so slow that no interference or distortion is experienced from this cause when a message is written, the act of writing a short message occupying but a few seconds.

Fig. 3 is a conventionalized top view of a telautographic transmitting mechanism of the variable direct current type used in conjunction with the receiving mechanism just described and which is similar in all respects to other transmitting mechanisms which have been used for some time, except that the writing platen is masked in a manner similar to that employed for the receiving mechanism. The platen is shown by dotted lines at 91 with the rectangular access-opening at 92 which is of the same dimensions and proportions as the access-opening in the receiving mechanism. It will be seen that in order for the transmitting operator to record his message at the receiving instrument, he must write with the stylus 93 within the opening 92.

For the convenience of the writing operator, a pilot receiver may be used adjacent to the transmitting instrument so that he may be sure the system is working properly and to more easily gu'de his hand in forming the written characters. This pilot" receiver may be equipped with the regulation electro-magnetic paper shifting mechanism such as described in my Patent 1,673,928. If such a pilot receiver is employed, it should preferably have its receiving writing field restricted in a manner similar to that described herein. Where a pilot receiver is used it has a paper feeding mechanism, and the transmitter is of the usual type to operate the paper feed of the pilot receiver, but the paper feed at the central receiver can never be actuated by the transmitting operator.

As indicated by the diagram, Fig. 6, the receiver shown in Figs. 1 and 2 is connected to the transmitter, Fig. 3, by the necessary line wires so that by suitable operation of the stylus at the transmitter, writing may be done on the paper at the receiver. Ordinarily the transmitter will be suitably located at the place to which the watchman is assigned, while the receiver will be remote therefrom, as for example, at a central ofiice where the control officials are lo,- cated so they may see each report on the paper strip at the time it is made and may note any failure to report. In case a report is not made at the proper time, or shows a forged signature, the control oflicers may at once dispatch a suitable guard or force of inspectors to the transmitter station. It will be understood that more than one transmitter, each located at different stations, may be associated with the same receiver, if it is arranged so that the reports from the respective transmitters shall follow in succession at the proper intervals of time.

In ordinary practice, assuming a central office controlling the guarding of a number of different banks, business offices, plants or the like, at each of which a watchman is employed, only one transmitter would be used for each watchman, that is for each bank, business office or plant, in order to avoid too great an investment in apparatus.

In this case, however, to insure that each watchman makes his rounds properly, it is advantageous to provide a supplemental electrical reporting means for each watchman, this comprising a plurality of circuit closing keys or switches, scattered along the route prescribed for the watchman, each of which keys is in circuit with an electro-magnetic recording device which will mark the paper at the transmitter, so that the watchman on his rounds may operate the keys one after the other as he passes along his route, thus marking a paper record sheet at the central receiver, so that the officials at the central oflice may observe the'progress of the watchman on his rounds.

This supplemental electrical reporting means comprises a series of keys at various stations along the predetermined route of the employee, a corresponding series of electromagnetic embossing punches at the transmitter and circuit connections from the respective keys to the corresponding electromagnetic punches.

Where such additional reporting devices are provided the receiver has its plate 53 provided with a series of notches as at 61 cut out to form small recesses along the lower margin of opening 51a. Each ofthese recesses gives access to the message strip for the sharp point of an elec-, tro -magnetically operated embossing device: only one of which is shown in Fig. 1 in connection with the extreme left-hand recess. In the present embodiment it is assumed that seven such embossing devices are provided, as indicated in Fig. 6. Each of these devices consists of an electro-magnet having a winding 62 on an iron core 63 and having iron pole pieces 64 and 65. The device is secured by a flat head screw 66 to the front surface of plate 53 which is of non-magnetic material. Pole extends upward a short distance and has a rectangular opening in which one end of an armature 67 is pivoted. The free end of the armature overhangs the upper surface of pole pieces 64 and has an upwardly extending arm 68 which car ries, at its upper end, a conically shaped hardened point 69 extending toward and just clearing the message strip when the electro-magnet 62 is unenergized. The armatures retractile spring is shown at 70 and an adjustable stop screw for regulating the throw of the armature is indicated at 71, threaded through pole pieces 65. In order that the embossing points may erfectively impress their marks upon the message strip, plate 50 is drilled with small coacting holes, one-of which is indicated at 72 in Figure 2. It will now be understood that when the electromagnet winding 62 is energized from a source of current, armature 67 will move toward pole piece 64; at the same time the arm 68 will carry point 69 against the message strip with force sufficient to form and push a small mound of paper slightly into one of the holes provided in plate 50. The mound or perforation thus formed remains as an enduring record of the operation of the magnet as the message strip continues to move under the power of the chronometer spring. The electrical circuits L to L inclusive, for controlling the embossing devices are entirely hidependent of the telautographio circuits of the invention, as will be clear from Fig. 6, these circuits being energized by a common battery, M. The battery M and one side of each coil is grounded, as indicated at N and N respectively.

The embodiment of the invention herein described and illustrated is intended for use where seven points throughout a building or warehouse are to be visited by a watchman. At each of these points a suitable circuit closure such as a key or switch K, Fig. 6, is provided for his use to actuate a particular one of the seven embossing devices on the telautographic receiving instrument. At a position in the building or warehouse constituting the beginning or ending of the watchmans rounds, the telautograph transmitter, shown in Figure 3, is provided for the man to send his telautographic report and signature to the otherwise inaccessible receiving instrument in the central oifice.

Figure 4 illustrates how a very comprehensive and inclusive record may be made, with the present invention, of the activity of a watchman. The record strip in this instance is ruled with co-ordinates for easy interpretation of the record. Fifteen'minute intervals are'indicated by the heavier horizontal rulings, while each successive lighter ruling represents an interval of three minutes. The embossings are indicated at 81 and the order of their making is very apparent. The watchman in this instance is required to report and sign every fifteen minutes.

One of the important advantages of the telautographic reporting apparatus is that the transmitter may be built to operate silently so that it may be used at any time to write quickly and silently a message calling for help, which may be a mere code letter and, indeed, by prearrangement this signal for help may be a mere difierence in writing the usual signature, so a watchman, if being coerced into making his usual report may advise the central office as to his condition even under the eyes of his captors by such a slight difference in the way of writing his name.

What is claimed is:

l. The combination, with a telautograph transmitter, a telautograph receiver, and circuits connecting the transmitter and receiver to permit writing to be done at the receiver by manual actuation of the transmitter, of paper feed mechanism at the receiver, independent of the transmitting mechanism, and automatic mechanism inaccessible to and uncontrollable by the transmitting operator for actuating the paper feed mechanism.

2. In a watchmans time controlling mechanism, the combination, with a telautograph transmitter at the watchmans station, of a telautograph receiver at a central control station, circuits connecting the transmitter and receiver whereby writing may be done at the receiver by the transmitter, and automatic paperfeeding mechanism at the receiver station inaccessible to and uncontrollable by the said transmitter, said automatic paper feed mechanism being arranged to advance the paper at a uniform average rate through the receiver.

3. In a watchmans time controlling mechanism, the combination, with a telautograph transmitter at the watchmans station, of a telautograph receiver at a central control station, circuits connecting the transmitter and receiver whereby writing may be done at the receiver by the transmitter, automatic paper-feeding mechanism at the receiver station inaccessible to and uncontrollable by the said transmitter, whereby the paper is advanced at a uniform average rate through the receiver, an electromagnetic device for impressing a mark on the paper at the receiver, a circuit-closing device located away from said transmitter along the predetermined route to be traveled by the watchman, a circuit independent of the writing circuits, said circuit including the circuit-closing device and the said electro-magnetic impressing device, and means for energizing the circuits.

4. In a watchmans time controlling mechanism, the combination, with a telautograph transmitter at the watchmans station, of a telautograph receiver at a central control station, circuits connecting the transmitter and receiver whereby writing may be done at the receiver by the transmitter, automatic paper-feeding mechanism at the receiver station inaccessible to and uncontrollable by the said transmitter, whereby the paper is advanced at a uniform average rate through the receiver, a plurality of independently operable electromagnetic impressing devices, each arranged to impress a mark on the paper at the receiver, a plurality of circuit-closing devices, one for each electromagnetic impressing device, said circuit-closing devices being located away from the transmitter and distributed along the predetermined route to be traveled by the watchman, a plurality of circuits independent of the writing circuits, each including its respective circuit-closing device and the corresponding electro-magnetic impressing device, and means for energizing said circuits.

ARLEIGH N. VAN NOSTRAND. 

